brighten

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: bright=en

CIDE DICTIONARY

brighten, v. t. 

•  To make bright or brighter; to make to shine; to increase the luster of; to give a brighter hue to.  [1913 Webster]

  "[From Bright, a.]"
•  To make illustrious, or more distinguished; to add luster or splendor to.  [1913 Webster]

  "The present queen would brighten her character, if she would exert her authority to instill virtues into her people."  [1913 Webster]
•  To improve or relieve by dispelling gloom or removing that which obscures and darkens; to shed light upon; to make cheerful; as, to brighten one's prospects.  [1913 Webster]

  "An ecstasy, which mothers only feel,
  Plays round my heart and brightens all my sorrow."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make acute or witty; to enliven.  Johnson.  [1913 Webster]

brighten, v. i. [AS. beorhtan.].

 To grow bright, or more bright; to become less dark or gloomy; to clear up; to become bright or cheerful.  [1913 Webster]
"And night shall brighten into day."  [1913 Webster]
"And, all his prospects brightening to the last,
His heaven commences ere world be past."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

brighten, v.tr. & intr.
1 make or become brighter.
2 make or become more cheerful.

THESAURUS

brighten

animate, beacon, boost, break, brighten up, buoy up, burnish, cheer, cheer up, dawn, encourage, enlighten, enliven, exhilarate, flood with light, floodlight, gild, gild the lily, give a lift, gladden, grow bright, grow light, hearten, highlight, illume, illuminate, illumine, inspire, inspirit, invigorate, irradiate, light, light up, lighten, liven, luminate, overshine, perk up, pick up, polish, rejoice, rejoice the heart, relume, relumine, shed light upon, shine, shine upon, spotlight, sweeten, throw light upon, vitalize

ROGET THESAURUS

brighten

Light

VB shine, glow, glitter, glister, glisten, twinkle, gleam, flare, flare up, glare, beam, shimmer, glimmer, flicker, sparkle, scintillate, coruscate, flash, blaze, be bright, reflect light, daze, dazzle, bedazzle, radiate, shoot out beams, fulgurate, clear up, brighten, lighten, enlighten, levin, light, light up, irradiate, shine upon, give out a light, hang out a light, cast light upon, cast light in, throw light upon, throw light in, shed light upon, shed luster upon, illume, illumine, illuminate, relume, strike a light, kindle.